• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.24 no.2
• /
• pp.159-170
• /
• 1986

A total of 69 patients of confirmed neurocysticercosis was followed serologically by ELISA up to 22 months after praziquantel treatment. The intervals and numbers of follow-up were variable by patient. Serially collected samples of serum and CSF were examined simultaneously for their specific IgG antibody levels by ELISA, using cystic fluid, saline extracts of bladder wall and scolex as antigen. Within 4 months after praziquantel treatment, the antibody levels were elevated temporarily in both serum and CSF in most patients. In some cases antibody levels exhibited steady declining tendency after the treatment. Concomitant administration of dexamethasone appeared to suppress the elevation of antibody levels. The rate of mean absorbance of antibody changed more in serum than in CSF. The rate of elevation was greater in antibodies to parenchymal antigens than that to cystic fluid, but absolute difference of antibody levels was greater in antibody to cystic fluid. Previously negative samples for IgG antibody may become positive after the praziquantel treatment, which could be used as a complementary tool (provocation test) in serodiagnosis. One month was considered to be sufficient interval for the follow-up test for that purpose. In the follow-up of up to 22 months, only few cases of chronic neurocysticercosis showed declining tendency of IgG antibody levels below negative range. During acute encephalitic attacks in chronic patients, IgG antibody to parenchymal antigen were elevated in CSF temporarily. These results indicated that serologic follow-up of every year was recommendable to differentiate the cured patients from chronic patients with slowly calcifying lesions.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
• /
• v.36 no.4
• /
• pp.249-254
• /
• 1998

In Korea, Clonorchis sinensis infection is still highly prevalent because case detection in the field is difficult and the detected cases used to be incompletely cured due to treatment failure. The present study tried to control clonorchiasis in an endemic village by repeated treatments with praziquantel every 6 months and to evaluate sonography as a diagnostic measure. By stool examinations, the egg positive rate in the endemic village was 22.7％, but it decreased to 19.6％ at 6 months. 15.1％ at 12 months, 12.2％ at 18 months, 6.3％ at 24 months, 11.4％ at 30 months, and 6.3％ at 42 months after the beginning of repeated praziquantel administration. The sonography showed 61 (49.6％) positive cases of 123 screened residents; among egg-positives the sonography positive rate was 52.2％ and among egg-negatives it was still 49％. The rate among cured cases was 64.3％ after 6 months, 50.0％ after 12 months, 50.0％ after 18 months, and 66.7％ after 24 months. In a non-endemic village, 64 residents were found egg-negative by fecal examination, but 20 (31.3％) of them were positive by sonography. The present findings indicate that control of clonorchiasis in an endemic village by repeated praziquantel treatment for 42 months is still insufficient and sonography is of little value for diagnosis of clonorchiasis.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
• /
• v.26 no.3
• /
• pp.172-180
• /
• 1993

Chemical properties of the soils were surveyed in the field of vinyl houses concentrated in the area of Bunpyong-dong and Shinchon-dong of Cheongju, Chilgeum-dong of Chungju and Gageum-myeon of Jungweon-gun. Chungcheongbuk-do province. 1. Content of chemical component of the soil in the vinyl house was higher than in open field. In more than half of the vinyl house soils surveyed, electric conductivity was more than 4.0 mmhos/cm and available phosphate was more than 1,000ppm. 2. Contents of availble phosphate and exchangeable potassium were increased with years of cultivation and their content of accumulation in soil were in the order of Bunpyong-dong>Shinchon-dong>Gageum-myeon>Chilgeum-dong. While their mobility was comparatively low. 3. $NO_3$-N content was remarkably higher in vinyl house soil and the older in cultivation made $NO_3$-N content higher same as the case of available phosphate content. However easy leaching of $NO_3$-N through soil profile is expected due to the fact that $NO_3$-N content was rapidly decreased by removal of polyethylene film cover from the frame of house after harvest of crops. 4. It is a tendency that various chemical contents of vinyl house soils wer higher in 1992 than in 1988~1990, especially much higher from the area of Bunpyong-dong and Shinchon-dong of Cheongju. 5. Salt accumulation in vinyl house soil has been increased with continuing cultivation. Therefore amount of fertilizer application should be controlled in order to avoid salt toxicity, quality deterioration for crop and salt contamination of ground water.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.39 no.2
• /
• pp.210-218
• /
• 2010

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of Yacon (Polymnia sonchifolia Poepp. & Endl.) powder on cholesterol-lowering and anti-obesity effects in rats fed a high fat-high cholesterol diet for 4 weeks to induce hyperlipidemic and obese rat model. Weight-matched male Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to four groups according to dietary fat, cholesterol levels and Yacon powder levels. Experimental groups were normal diet group (N), high fat-high cholesterol diet group (HFC), high fat-high cholesterol diet with 5% Yacon powder group (HFC-PSL) and high fat-high cholesterol diet with 10% Yacon powder group (HFC-PSH). The body weight gain and FER were increased by a high fat-high cholesterol diet, but gradually decreased in the Yacon powder fed groups compared with the HFC group. Food intake was lower in HFC groups compared with N group. The liver and adipose tissue weights of HFC group were heavier than those of N group, whereas those of groups administered Yacon powder were gradually decreased. The serum ALT, AST, ALP and LDH activities elevated by a high fat-high cholesterol diet were significantly decreased by Yacon powder administration. Levels of serum total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, atherogenic index and cardiac risk factor showed a decreasing tendency in the Yacon powder fed groups compared with HFC group. The serum HDL-cholesterol level decreased in the HFC group and markedly increased in the Yacon powder fed groups. Levels of total cholesterol and triglyceride in liver and adipose tissues were lower in Yacon powder administered groups than those in HFC group. These results suggest that Yacon powder may improve lipid metabolism of serum, liver, and adipose tissue and potentially reduce lipid storage.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.36 no.6
• /
• pp.773-778
• /
• 2007

This study was performed to develop a more simple and convenient heat treatment process for increasing heating temperature than the traditional 9-times steaming process for Rehmanniae radix Preparata (R. radix P.). The R. radix was heated to various temperatures (110, 120, 130, 140 and $150^{\circ}C$) for different lengths of time (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 hr). Chromaticity, free sugar, amino acid, catalpol and 5-HMF (5-hydroxy-methyl-2-furaldehyde) content of water extracts of R. radix P. were analysed. With increasing heating temperature and time, the L, a and b-value of samples gradually decreased. Fructose and glucose contents were increased to $120^{\circ}C$ for 5 hr (5.21 and 6.67%, respectively) with no changes afterward. Sucrose content was not detected after $130^{\circ}C$. Total amino acid was increased to $140^{\circ}C$ and decreased afterward. The maximum total amino acid content was 4,172 mg/100 g at $140^{\circ}C$ for 2 hr (R. radix L.: 3,029 mg/100 g). The catalpol was decreased to $130^{\circ}C$ for 1 hr and not detected afterward. The 5-HMF content increased with increasing heating temperature and time. The maximum content of 5.HMF was 2.5% in $150^{\circ}C$ for 5 hr. Hence, it can be suggested that the heat treatment at $130^{\circ}C$ for 2 hr or more is the most optimum processing conditions, instead of the traditional 9.times steaming process.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
• /
• v.30 no.10
• /
• pp.999-1005
• /
• 2008

The main reaction for soil washing with using sodium hydroxide(NaOH) and hydrogen peroxide(H$_2$O$_2$) was desorption and flotation of petrochemical contaminant by means of oxygen bubble. We found the rate of decomposition by rate constant according to various temperature. For the purpose of optimizing the operation factor, we examined the effect of concentration of NaOH and H$_2$O$_2$, washing time, and soil:water ratio. The rate of decomposition for H$_2$O$_2$ in liquid phase is the first order reaction by its concentration. The rate constant of k$_1$ was 0.9439 $\times$ exp(-1376.82/RT) when concentration of NaOH was lower than 0.1 M, and the rate constant of k$_2$ was 17.3588 $\times$ exp(-2320.06/RT) when it was higher than NaOH of 0.1 M. It found that NaOH was facilitated at the beyond of specific concentration. We confirmed the optimum concentration of NaOH/H$_2$O$_2$ by means of rate constants during soil washing. Also, the optimum conditions during soil washing were washing time of 15 min, soil : water ratio of 1 : 3, and NaOH/H$_2$O$_2$ concentration of 0.25 M/0.1 M.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.29-34
• /
• 1993

Experiments have been carried out with C3H mouse fibrosarcoma (FSa II) to determine the effect of different sequence and time intervals between irradiation and administration of cis-diammihedichloroplatinum (cis-DDP) with gross tumors (6 mm in diameter), microscopic tumors (3 days after transplantation of $10^3$ cells) and cells in culture. The drug was administered either 24, 12, 8, 4, 2, 1, 0.5 hour before irradiation, immediately before irradiation, or 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24 hours after irradiation. In case of in vivo studies, tumor growth delay was used as an end point. Clonogenic cell surviving fraction was used for in vitro studies. Tumor growth delay for gross tumor after 10 Gy radiation plus 10 mg/kg cis-DDP ranged from 6.3 to 10.66 days and the enhancement ratio ranged from 1.37 to 2.23. The most effective combination was when cis-DDP was given 4 hours before irradiation. Tumor growth delay for microscopic tumor after 5 Gy of radiation and 5 mg/kg of cis-DDP ranged from 3.55 to 11.98 days with enhancement ratio from 2.05 to 6.92. Microscopic tumors showed response significantly greater than additive in every time interval and the most effective treatments were when cis-DDP was given 2 and 1 hour before irradiation. In in vitro experiment, the surviving fraction after 6 Gy of radiation and 1 hour exposure to 4 ${\mu}M$ cis-DDP fluctuated as a function of time between treatments, but the difference between maximum and minimum surviving fractions was very small. According to the above results the sequence and time interval between irradiation and chemotherapy is very critical especially for the management of microscopic tumors as in the case of postoperative adjuvant treatment.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
• /
• v.30 no.4
• /
• pp.309-316
• /
• 2010

The performance of grass filter strips (GFS) in reducing $PO_4$-P concentrations and soil loss from the forage cropland was tested in an experiment on the 10% slope in Grassland and Forages Division, National Institute of Animal Science, Rural Development Administration (RDA) from October 2007 to September 2009. Forage cropland with rye-corn double cropping system receiving inorganic fertilizer or livestock manure (LM) were compared in a natural condition. The plots were hydrologically isolated in a randomized block layout of 3 treatments $\times$ 2 factors $\times$ 3 replicates. Main plots consisted of the length of GFS, such as $25\;m^2$ ($5{\times}5\;m$), $50m^2$ ($5{\times}10\;m$), $75m^2$ ($5{\times}15\;m$). Sub plots consisted of the type of LM, such as chemical fertilizer (CF), cattle manure (CM) and swine manure (SM). Concentrations of $PO_4$-P in surface runoff water were reduced as the length of GFS increased. Especially, GFS with 10 m and 15 m reduced $PO_4$-P concentrations significantly compared to that with 0 m (p<0.05). However, there was not significant different between $PO_4$-P concentrations of GFS with 10m and that of GFS with 15 m. Moreover, Soil loss in surface runoff water were reduced as the length of GFS increased. GFS with 15 m reduced soil loss significantly compared to that with 5 m and 10 m (p<0.05). The results from this study suggest GFS improve the removal and trapping $PO_4$-P and soil loss from forage cropland.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.164-172
• /
• 2002

Breast cancer cell lines display a wide variety of growth factor receptors, and considerable evidences implicate the importance of signalings from those receptors. A useful prognostic indicator would be the level of activity of a second messenger protein used in common by these receptors. Our studies were designed to obtain preliminary information on the possible role of polyamine as a mediator of the membrane-associated protein phosphorylation and as a regulator of second messenger in mitogenic signal of estrogen or growth factors in MCF-7 human breast lancer cells. DFMO significantly inhibited the phosphorylation induced by $E_2$, TGF-$\alpha$ and EGF in membrane-associated proteins (154, 134, 116, and 104 kDa). Exogenous polyamines abolished the inhibitory effect of DFMO. Tyrosine phosphorylations of membrane-associated proteins were not increased by $E_2$ or growth factor treatments and not affected DFMO treatment. Polyamine administration markedly enhanced the tyrosine phosphorylation of membrane-associated proteins (154, 134, and 116 kDa). In the present study, $E_2$ and TGF-$\alpha$ and EGF enhanced protein phosphorylation in the almost same levels. These data indicate that $E_2$ and growth factor signaling pathway may cross-talk through various protein kinase which phosphorylated many substrate proteins (154, 134, 116 and 104 kDa). Polyamines may be involved in growth signaling pathway of $E_2$ and TGF-$\alpha$ or EGF for the cross-talk through regulation of the protein phosphorylation such as 154, 134, 116 and 104 kDa. Polyamine may also selectively interfere with several different protein kinases, and the specific steps in signal transduction system were effected by polyamines.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.1-16
• /
• 2007

The use of information on natural resources is indispensable to most agricultural activities to avoid disasters, to improve input efficiency, and to increase lam income. Most information is prepared and managed at a spatial scale called the "Hydrologic Unit" (HU), which means watershed or small river basin, because virtually every environmental problem can be handled best within a single HU. South Korea consists of 840 such watersheds and, while other watershed-specific information is routinely managed by government organizations, there are none responsible for agricultural weather and climate. A joint research team of Kyung Hee University and the Agriculture, forestry and Fisheries Information Service has begun a 4-year project funded by the Ministry of Agriculture and forestry to establish a watershed-specific agricultural weather information service based on "high definition" digital climate maps (HD-DCMs) utilizing the state of the art geospatial climatological technology. For example, a daily minimum temperature model simulating the thermodynamic nature of cold air with the aid of raster GIS and microwave temperature profiling will quantify effects of cold air drainage on local temperature. By using these techniques and 30-year (1971-2000) synoptic observations, gridded climate data including temperature, solar irradiance, and precipitation will be prepared for each watershed at a 30m spacing. Together with the climatological normals, there will be 3-hourly near-real time meterological mapping using the Korea Meteorological Administration's digital forecasting products which are prepared at a 5 km by 5 km resolution. Resulting HD-DCM database and operational technology will be transferred to local governments, and they will be responsible for routine operations and applications in their region. This paper describes the project in detail and demonstrates some of the interim results.